A presentation at the School Nutrition Association conference in Boston last Monday. AP file photo

Written by

David Just and Brian Wansink

There's one truth emerging from the debate over the National School Lunch Program on the floor of Congress and in the lunchrooms of public schools: You can lead a child to vegetables, but you can't make them eat.

The 2010 school lunch standards have made giant strides in improving the quality of food offered to our children. But such improvements come at a substantial cost.

As is common in Washington, the debate has been reduced to two seemingly unacceptable options: ...